River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-11-24
MANY LIVES LOST.
Collision in the English Channel Between
Dutch Steamship, Laden with Pass
engers. and . Schooner-OVer Hun
bred Persons Drowned.

Collision in the English Channel Between
a Dutch Steamship, Laden with Pass
engers, and . Schooner-OVer Hun
dred Persons Drowned.
IoSDoN, Nov. 2I-The Dutch steamer
W. A schoIten, Captain Taat which left
Rotterdam yesterday morning for New
York, was sunk by a collision with the
steamer Rosa Mary, of Hartlepooi, at IL
O'Clock Saturday night ten miles off Dover.
The Schotten carried a complement OF
30 passengers and crew. The steamer
Ebro, OF Sunderland, rescued ninety persons
and landed them at the Sailors Home. Do
yer One passenger.and child of the party
brought TO Dover We're found dead from
exposure This leaves 122 lost and miss
ing. IL is hoped that passing vessels have
rescued the missing ones
At the time of the accident dense fog
prevailed The Schotten was struck ON the
port bow by the Rosa Mary. Immediately
after the SHOCK was felt the Scbotten's pas
sengers, all of whom had retired for the
night rushed on deck in their night-gowns
The boats were promptly ordered To
be lowered, but it was found that
only two were available The thrse others
were useless and were not lowered. The
water rGsned swiftly through the hole ia
the bow. and a terrible scene ensued. The
panic-strcken passengers uttered pierre
ing shrieks, and many fell upon
their knees and prayed aloud
Little children chung to their moth
ers. who themselves were Shrek
ing with terror The officers were
cool and self-possessed, and remained ON
the bridge to the last Several persons
procured life belts and leaped into the sea.
Within twenty minutes of the shock the
gs.k., f.I A l.
had put on life belts fioated and were
rescued by the boats from the steamer
Ebro, which cruised around until o'clock
in the morning Many of the rescued lost
wives husbands, brothers and sisters The
survivors were supplied with clothes and
every thing possible was done to insure
IA sir comfort
Boats from Dover which went out yester-
day morning have landed twenty-five bod
les from the wreck The bodies are dis
torted, showing thSt death was caused by
violence, and not by drowning Among
those identified are the following the first
FIVE being passengers
Mrs Lebenstein; Henry Blame; Burstig
I iedmann; Solomon Goldschmidt; John
koeule: Peter Steiiberg, chief mate; - Duntt,
second steward; Mrs. Hak, chief stewardess.
The Schotten lies four miles from the Ad-
visible She is in a position dangerous to
navigation. \ buoy and lights have been
p aced at the wreck.
The passengers accounts differ regarding
the circumstances of the collision, and the
reports of the officers of the Schotten clash
with those of the officers of the Rosa Mary.
Some of the passengers say that the evening
merriment had ceas I'd and most of the pas
ssngers mad retired to their hunks, only IA
few remaining 10 the saloon, when a tre-
mendous crash was heard on the port bow.
4 ey say it is impossible that the collision
could have occurred by the Schotten strik-
ing an anchored vessel
The second mate of the Schotten- reports
that he was on deck when he saw an I'M
known steamer coming through the fog.
Before any thing could be done the Schotten
was struck IN the fOreriggng and port bow
The Other vessel, which he now presunes
was the Rosa Mary. backed OFF and disap-
peared Within twenty minutes the Schot-
ten sunk
The captain of the Rosa Mary says that
his vessel was run into while anchored
southeast OF South Sand Head BY an un-
known steamer. Finding that the Rosa
Mary was damaged he proceeded to Dover
roads, where the vessel is now locked The
Rosa Mary was laden with coal for st
zaire
olc Of those saved IL Monte Colo, from
tn TyroL He says that the scenes on the
s hiking ship were terrible The steerage
passengers stricken with terror, ran about
the deck in Wild confusion. The capita
tried his utmost TO restore order, but with
ont effect The passengers rushed for the
boats, and it was with the greatest difficulty
that the officers could keep them from
jumping into and sinking them
George Moore, a passenger, says that
when the crash occurred a general rush
was made for the deck Said he:
II was in the water long time before being
p cled up. When the Schotten sunk the cries
were heartrendiug. The captain Of the Ebro,
the rescuing vessel, behaved no0iy. He had
all his decklOad OF timber thrown overheard,
ana this iudicious act saved many lives Only
two of the SehOtten's boats were lowered; the
others could not be got adrft. / do not know
whether this was due TO any fault on
board. The vessel listed over so much that all
the boats could not be dropped into the water.
The people rushed about in the greatest state
OF excitement, all trying to get place in the
two boats which had been successfully lowered.
The scare and disorder prevented many per
sons being saved. The water was freezing
cold. This fastened the death OF many, rem
dering them powerlesS.'
Charles Mills, of Red Hill, Surrey, says:
"The life-boats appeared as if they had not
been used for long time They had to
he chopped away with axes with the u.s.
sstance OF passengers He got hold of a
life-boat bu' Dutch sailor snatched it
away The Dutch sailors wanted to save
themselves, and even thrust women aside
The second officer declares that every
precaution had been taken on board the
Schotten good lookout was kept, and
Captain Taat not only had the ordinary
watch on the bridge at the time of tie
disaster but all the officers intended to re-
main there until the vessel was fairly do.yn
the channel. The captain was last seen at
his post trying to quiet the passengers md
get the boats Of